Dhaka, Aug. 18 -- Bangladesh has taken a decisive leap into uncharted waters by becoming the first South Asian state to accede to the United Nations Water Convention. In a region where rivers define borders, livelihoods and, increasingly, disputes, Dhaka's move is both symbolic and strategic.
The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, once limited to Europe, now offers a multilateral framework for equitable sharing and environmental stewardship.
For a country that depends on 57 transboundary rivers, Bangladesh's accession is more than a diplomatic manoeuvre - it is a matter of survival, according to a report published in this newspaper on Sunday.
Seasonal floods, dry-season scarcity, a...